Opening Malfunctioning Atrium Locks

This is a common problem which will require the attention of a locksmith, and is your opportunity to rise to the challenge.

First, don't forget to rule out the possibility of opening the lock from the other side. Rule out all other doors as a means of entry and verify that access cannot be gained by using the other side of the door. What often causes the inoperability of these locks is poor alignment between latch bolt and/or dead bolt and strike, so take a moment to ask your customer if they remember having to push or pull on the door from the side you are standing. Oftentimes, by using the motion they have described, accompanied by lubrication of the profile cylinder used in these locks, you will be able to open the lock without any drilling at all.

If you are unable to unlock in this manner, begin to remove all the trim, including levers and spindle. First, don't assume that the lock must be drilled. It is entirely possible to actuate the mechanism even if it has not been operated in years, with a deliberate and conscious effort on your part to do several things at the same time.

It is possible to apply lubricant carefully through the spindle hole between spindle hub and lock case, though difficult, (or profile cylinder keyway, depending on handing and orientation) it is understood that only the lubricant that draws down into the case by gravity will actually find its way to the detent (about 1 1/2" from profile cylinder edge) that prevents the bolt from drawing into the lock case. A little bit in precisely the right location will often allow the key or thumb turn to work. Again, use your customer as valuable insight into what side may be exerting friction against the bolt as well. In cases where there is ample room for a tool bent at a right angle, use the key (or turn the plug with your screwdriver after picking) while assisting the dead bolt back towards the lock case with this tool at the same time. Sometimes a sharpened ice pick or other hardened tool can be sharpened to carefully work the bolt back into the case through the little bit of gap between door and frame, while you turn the profile cylinder. If you are attempting the opening from the inside of the door (locked in and locked out), use the same steps above with the thumb turn of the profile cylinder if it is of the single cylinder type. Last, attempt to turn with both the thumb turn on the inside while an assistant turns in same direction with operating key or picked plug from outside, all the while doing what is necessary to exert some pressure on the side of the door which will release any friction present against the dead bolt, allowing it to finally move past the strike and into the lock case.

If you absolutely cannot open the lock with the above recommendations, here's how I measured Atrium style door locks for when they malfunction and cannot be unlocked from either side of the door. Drilling should only be required when the lock cannot be opened from either side of the door, and needs to be done from the correct side of the lock case to have the deadbolt detent visible and reachable with your tools.

First, to get to your point of reference, you have to imagine that you are looking at the edge of the door with the door open. As you look at the edge of the door, if the dead bolt is at the bottom with the latch bolt at the top, you will be drilling on the left side of the door, regardless of door handing, approximately 1-9/16" from the edge of the profile cylinder. If the deadbolt is on the top with the latch at the bottom, you will be drilling on the right side of the door, regardless of door handing, approximately 1-9/16" from the edge of the profile cylinder. Remember, you are only imagining that you are looking at the edge of the door, so there can be no arguments about what is left or right or the handing of the door. It is the easiest way for me to convey to you what side to drill on, knowing that the door is closed. If you drill on the wrong side of the door you would have to drill through the case and quite possibly ruin the lock to raise the detent, so get it right. Your drill point should be roughly in line with the keyway and 1-1/2" to 1-5/8" away from the edge of the cylinder, and 3/16" towards the door edge from the centerline of the cylinder, using the keyway as your centerline. If you have a replacement in your locksmith service vehicle, go get it and take a measurement of your own to confirm where you are drilling and what needs to be done to withdraw the dead bolt. Alternatively, if you can see the uppermost point of the faceplate trim of the lock, you can measure 5-1/4" down from the upper radius of the faceplate, as viewed through the gap between door and frame, and 1 5/8" from faceplate door edge  to the same point described above. Drill a 1/4" hole through the outer door skin to, but not into, the lock case, stopping when you see that you have reached the cavity between mortise in the door and the lock case. It is not necessary to penetrate the lock case to force the detent up and away from the bolt. I usually stop as soon as I know I have penetrated the outer door material only, being careful to leave the lock intact, leaving the deadbolt detent undisturbed in any way.

Reach through the hole with an ice pick or similar tool and pry up (or away from the deadbolt) on the deadbolt detent. While holding the detent, use a knife or small screwdriver to work the deadbolt back into the lock case. The Carolina roller, or keedex tool, works well to get behind the end of the bolt and speed up the process of pulling the dead bolt back into the lock case. Alternatively, you can use a piece of ice pick or worn out jeweler's screwdriver with about one half inch bent at a right angle at the end. Chuck it in your vise grip and carefully pry the bolt back into the case through the opening between door and frame. Put spindle and lever back into the spindle hole and open the door.

While far less likely, if the spring latch is the problem, measure down 2-9/16" from the top of the faceplate or visually sight the center of the latch. Draw a straight line 1-1/2" from the front of the faceplate. A similar measurement can be made that results in drilling 7/8" from spindle center towards top or bottom edge of lock and 5/16" towards door edge from spindle center. For the latch, you will need to drill on the side opposite to what is described above for the bolt. Drill a quarter inch hole where the lines intersect. Again, using an ice pick or similar tool, reach through the hole and work the latch back to open. Have a piece of plastic handy to help loid the latch back once you have it moved slightly, or have this handy for your assistant to use on the other side of the door if the door swings in towards you. Try to put spindle and lever back in spindle hole to assist with bolt and open the door. This situation is far less likely to occur than the atrium lock dead bolt failure first described above.

Again, having a lock case to look at is indispensible in this matter. If you are not stuck now, look at one. I have yet to encounter an atrium lock design that could not be opened using these measurements. Because the design is something of a standard, always having a replacement to measure from is going to be your best source of accurate measurements. Additionally, because the lock is not usually available at home centers, it is an opening, repair and/or replacement process that is worthy of a professional fee. With that said, it has been rare that I actually had to drill these locks, so make a deliberate attempt at the suggestions above, before drilling, before assuming the lock has to be drilled at all. This will allow the possibility of using the same lock, should your customer allow you to lubricate and service it, or if you have no replacement lock on your service vehicle, or if the cost of the replacement atrium lock is out of your customer's budget.

MacLock 1500 Blade Locking System

Residential High Security Locks without a Deadbolt

The commercial and residential door locking hardware industry has produced some significant product improvements over the years. Interchangeable cores, cylindrical locksets, patented key systems and lifetime finishes have all provided increased value to end users over the years. Improvements in mechanical locking mechanisms have included improvements with regard to unauthorized key duplication, or key control. Key control is often not a primary concern of homeowners, whereas resistance to brute force attacks often is. In fact, most lock manufacturers have failed to improve their products' resistance to forced entry, the true test of high security locking systems.
Consumers have consistently identified resistance to forced entry as the determining factor when purchasing a higher security residential lock. Nearly two thirds of all break ins are made through entrance doors.

Over the years, increased sales of wrap around reinforcing plates, better deadbolts and multi point locks prove that the demand for locks with greater security will continue to increase. More recently, electronic alarm systems have become much more popular, and our customers will often say that they feel protected with their alarm systems. These alarms will only announce intruders as they enter and do absolutely nothing to prevent a brute force attack against their doors. Despite industry and consumer focus on high security, doors are still secured with dead bolts and latches as they have been for hundreds of years. These locking methods, however, have proven less than adequate. Most deadbolt installations offer little resistance to kicks and other attacks, because they provide only 1" of surface contact with the door jamb. This creates an inherent weak point. A good kick to the door will typically break the frame and casing and may break the deadbolt away from the door, or both. An overwhelming majority of homes are built with wooden jambs and in swinging doors that make kick ins just as likely today as they were a decade ago. While we may often install good improvements to the strike and run longer screws well into the studs behind the door frame, the resistance to brute force attack upon the door is still not as good as it could be. It is possible to install residential high security locks without a deadbolt, using the MacLock 1500.
Forced entry has finally been addressed through a revolutionary blade locking concept. Maclock has designed its patent pending model 1500 blade lock, primarily for retrofit residential lock market. The Maclock 1500 replaces a deadbolt's single stress point with 28 inches of blade which transfer stress to steel strike plates mounted in the jamb. A deadlocking feature prevents entry by prying, and an extensive door/jamb contact of 28" makes jamb spreading nearly imposiible. Most significantly, impacts are dispersed across the 28" length, virtually eliminating door jamb and lock failure so common with deadbolts.
The Maclock Blade Lock has incredible customer appeal. It is completely unobtrusive. With the door closed, the 1500 cannot be distinguished from a deadbolt. Operation is simple and requires no instruction, because everyone knows how to operate a key and a thumb turn. And most importantly, the product's security value is immediately recognized. Even the most uneducated customer understands that the holding power of a blade far exceeds that of a bolt.
In-house testing by Maclock reveals that the impact resistance of the model 1500 is remarkable. Test procedures were established per ANSI/BHMA A156.5-1992 section 10.7 "Bolt Impact Test" protocol. A 99.2 pound bullet was attached to a rope  above the door and swung  at the door from various distances. In all cases, wood jambs and in-swinging  doors were used. Several residential deadbolts were tested along with the 1500 and all passed Grade 3 and Grade 2 tests.
Grade 1 impact testing produced very different results. In this test, the 99.2 pound bullet is swung at the door twice in a 45 1/2" arc, which equals 150 pounds of force. All deadbolts failed at grade 1. In one case, the bolt was bent at 90 degree angle and the lock failed. In another test the best residential lock was installed, and the strike was secured with four 3" screws extending through the jamb and into the studs. In this instance the bolt remained in tact, but the strike tore away from the jamb and the lock failed. The most common failure point  for deadbolts was the door jamb, which was usually splintered.
Maclock's model 1500, on the other hand, easily passed the Grade 1 impact test. In fact, after withstanding the two required Grade 1 blows, testing personnel decided to continue until failure. The door withstood 10 additional blows for a total of 12, or 600% of the required number of Grade 1 blows. After 10 Grade 1 blows, testing was stopped and the operation checked. On the thirteenth Grade 1 blow, the door face separated from the rail and stiles, and the door opened. But incredibly, neither the Maclock 1500 nor its strike were damaged. The force required to cause failure of the Matlock 1500 has still not been determined. These test results are outstounding, particularly when considering the type of door used- a 26 gauge steel clad and styrofoam door. By using the most inexpensive, weakest entry door on the market, Maclock was able to accomplish Grade 1 testing in a worst case scenario. The door flexed and was even slightly creased, but the lock held.
Installation of the Matlock 1500 is accomplished with the use of special jigs. The door and frame are routed for the lock channel and strike. Only one standard bore (2 1/8" at 2 3/4"backset) is needed. The lock's 1" wide range is also based on industry standards. The jamb rout is 3/8" deep, and unlike deadbolt holes, does not penetrate the jamb. Also, the 28" blade is long enough to provide unequaled impact resistance, yet short enough to utilize the pre-drilled 2 1/8" bore of nearly any door. Maclock trim hardware employs standard keying, and plugs with various manufacturer's keyways can be ordered to allow keying flexibility.
The Maclock 1500 is brass plated and available in both single and double keyed versions. Carefully engineered dimensional and performance specifications make the 1500 practical for use in over 90% of residential doors. Future products include a double door version and variation for a wide variety of special applications.
Maclock is currently establishing exclusive dealers throughout the United States and abroad. The Maclock Authorized Dealer network will consist of locksmiths, remodelers, and independent business owners who are assigned territories of several million people. Dealers are responsible for promoting, selling, installing and servicing Maclock consumer products within their territories. They have the option of performing installations themselves or contracting work to Maclock certified locksmiths or contractors. This distribution plan is designed to maximize promotional efforts and to ensure that Maclock installation and service standards are met.
Maclock Authorized Dealers are forward thinking business owners who demonstrate integrity, sound business practices and a strong commitment to quality. The critical factor in distributor selection is an ability to promote new products and a willingness to devote significant resources to advertising and marketing. In view of the consumer's demand for truly secure locks and Maclock's exclusive ability to fulfill that demand, the opportunity for Maclock Authorized Dealers is phenomenal.
Blade locking technology promises to be the most significant mechanical security innovation in recent history. Unauthorized key duplication and rekeying will likely remain important issues to locksmiths as well as commercial consumers. However, the definition of commercial high security will ultimately be reshaped by the revolutionary concept of blade technology. The demand for higher security, higher quality locks by residential customers, which had gone unanswered by manufacturers in the past, has finally been addressed.